Malvin Artley has been a practising astrologer for more than a decade. He is an accredited member of the American Federation of Astrologers.
Malvin is the author of Bodies of Fire: An Exploration of the Lesser Chakra System. He has authored numerous articles and was a member of the faculty of the University of the Seven Rays, a non-profit organization dedicated to the teaching of the Trans-Himalayan tradition as expressed through the books of Alice Bailey, Helena Blavatsky and others.
His primary focus over the past 25 years has been on the sciences as they express occultism and with bridging work between the two. His special interests are the human subtle energy system and all the chakras, or energy centres, physics and technology, astronomy and all aspects of Chinese occultism. He has done extensive work with Chinese astrology and the cycles they use and seeks to synthesize the great Western and Oriental systems on such matters.
Malvin lives in Adelaide, South Australia. He also works in the engineering trades and sends out periodic emails about astrological happenings and developments. Click here to subscribe to Malvin's periodic letters.

The Festival of Government 2004 [part 2]
Subtle Meanings of the Full Moon in Aquarius

Malvin Artley continues his examination of the meanings inherent in the Full Moon for Leo, the "Festival of Government". Just as the Sun stands as the center of its own little universe, so the Leo subject comes to know full well the impact that he or she has on their surroundings through what their radiance brings back to them.

Leo is a very sensitive sign, despite the fact that Leos are often seen as insensitive and self-absorbed. But, just as the Sun stands as the center of its own little universe, so the Leo subject comes to know full well the impact that he or she has on their surroundings through what their radiance brings back to them. Often feeling impacts acutely, though, they will let little, if anything, stand in the way of the fulfillment of their purpose. This sensitivity leads the Leo type to experiment with many different phases of their self-expression as they seek to reconcile what they recognize internally with what actually confronts them in the outer world.

Leo has been very much connected with the materialistic side of science for that very reason, and empirical science owes a great deal of its methodology to the influence of Leo. It is regarded as one of the most materialistic of the signs, for the purpose of the average Leo is very tied up in the fulfillment of some desire, usually materially based. But, through interacting with the environment and the people in it toward the achievement of their objectives, Leos come to understand the intricacies of work within matter and among personas very quickly. They are thus able to synthesize a great deal of knowledge rapidly as a result, and the self-awareness that sort of interaction brings them is lost upon most other types. They come to this knowledge so quickly because they know who they are, and they are thus able to gauge situations and people quite acutely as a result. Beware the Leo gaze if ever you wish to keep a secret!

Leo has also been associated with rulership over the heart and the heart center (chakra). The heart is where the life-thread is anchored and is the organ that distributes vitality throughout the body. It is the engine that drives the body and keeps it moving. But, it is also the seat of our sensitivity, and every impression gets gauged against the measure of the heart. This is another reason for the Leo sensitivity. In terms of healing, this association of Leo and its rulership of the heart is why heart trouble will be found to be so prevalent among leaders of groups. So strong is the sense of purpose in the Leo native and so acute their sensitivity that it cannot be helped that the hearts of Leo types would be so greatly stressed in group settings. And, we can look for this type of trouble to increase as people become more and more group-polarized and as we move ever-closer to the Aquarian Age, since Leo is the sign opposite Aquarius in the Zodiac. There is much more that could be said here, but we can perhaps better see why and how Leo has come to have all the associations and rulerships it has. With that, let us move on to a consideration of this full moon.

As far as the planetary dynamics of this full moon figure go, we have a bit of a different situation with this one than has been the norm in past full moons. There is only one planet in a major aspect to the Sun or Moon, and that is Neptune. Neptune conjoins the Moon. It is an aspect that can bring inspiration of a high order, but it is also an insidious aspect of introversion. It confers very strong intuitions, although it can confuse the mental processes through sensationalism—and that is, perhaps, the most negative connotation of this particular full moon. The symbol for the degree of the Moon is of interest in this regard, and it reads thus:

A flag is seen turning into an eagle 9 Aquarius

The implications for the upcoming U.S. elections are all-too-clear, but this figure applies to the world at large. What is implied here is a shifting of focus, wherein symbols can become living realities. The flag and the eagle are both almost sacrosanct American symbols (and we should realize that these Sabian Symbols are said to be uniquely American, although they seem to work throughout the world), and hopefully we may begin to see a shift back to the life contained in those symbols rather than the “letter” of the symbols themselves and all the intense patriotic and nationalistic emotionalism that goes along with them.

This could easily apply to any country, not just the U.S. The eagle is a symbol of power and freedom—a rising and soaring above the symbols of past power and the releasing of the essence contained therein and of the Soul of the country. The sanctity of the flag and national boundaries must eventually give way to the living ethic of the Soul of any country, and the eagle represents that soaring Soul force. But, the Soul is most often invoked through struggle and over-emotionalism with all the attendant miasmas of past hurts and hatreds forming a cloud over the true issues at hand until struggle eventually brings clarity and right relations (hopefully). Patriotism and nationalism must give way to an inclusive world view. At an individual level this aspect warns against becoming muddled by dwelling on the past and it urges us to rise to the service of others when the need is there and thus display our own Soul-force.

The degree of Neptune indicates how insight can most easily come during this period and reads thus:

Two love-birds sitting on a fence and singing happily 15 Aquarius

Birds always relate to some sort of telepathic interplay in symbols, and this symbol reminds us to joyfully sing out the note of the Soul when we encounter separative situations (as represented by the fence) or our own self-constructed boundaries to the higher life. The birds could at any time take off and be completely unbound by the fence, not that they were anyway. The fact that they are sitting on the fence may mean that the Soul is seeking to convey some message about our separative tendencies, especially since Neptune has been on this degree for a while now. The fact is that both the lunar and the Neptunian degrees are bird symbols. Hence, we should be particularly open to new insights at this time and give ourselves ample opportunity to commune with the Soul in silence and see what messages it seeks to bring us during this festival and beyond.

But, the main measure and keynote of any chart is the Sun, and with the Sun opposing Neptune we are enjoined to beware of being over-sensitive to what comes our way. There is a beautiful reference in the symbol of the solar degree that indicates how we might move beyond over-sensitivity and confused thinking. It reads thus:

Glass blowers shape beautiful vases with their controlled breathing 9 Leo

All occultists know that the key to stilling the mind and rendering the bodies as fit receptacles for the Soul comes through an intimate understanding of controlled breathing. But, for here, we can say that when things get confusing and all-too-much it would help matters greatly to take time and breathe slowly and deeply, to let the higher Self supply us with needed calm and insight and to show us the beauty that the situation is veiling for us. For those readers who do know something of the connection between the mind and the breath you would know full well then that The Soul seizes the breath in deep meditation, thus stilling the mind and that it then breathes its new rhythm into us bringing beauty into the vessels that are our bodies and manifesting its artistry through us and our works for all the world to see. There is no need to struggle or to waste our breath in fruitless argument or conversation in the fulfillment of our purpose and direction in life. The higher Self moves us and all around us when we move to the rhythm of its breathing, and through that breath we become manifestors of and for the divine.

Read part three of The Festival of Government

Malvin Artley is an accredited member of the American Federation of Astrologers. His primary focus over the past 25 years has been on the sciences as they express occultism and with bridging work between the two. His special interests in those fields are the human subtle energy system and all the chakras, or energy centres, physics and technology, astronomy and all aspects of Chinese occultism.
He sends out periodic emails about astrological happenings and developments. These letters are sent out as a gift and a service. If you wish to be added to or deleted from the mailing list please let me know. If you feel inspired to pass them on please do so, but do so without alteration or charge. They are sent to people of many persuasions, not just astrologers. Blessings. Click here to subscribe to Malvin's periodic letters.

The Festival of Government 2004 [part 2]Subtle Meanings of the Full Moon in Aquarius

The Festival of Government 2004 [part 2]
Subtle Meanings of the Full Moon in Aquarius